Ski



A. MLLER Filed Aug; l5, 1968 Nov.

INVENTOR United States Patent O 3,537,718 SKI Alfred Mller, Lucerne, Switzerland, assignor to Realverbuud, Zug, Switzerland Filed Aug. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 752,288 Claims priority, application Austria, Aug. 17, 1967, A 7,562/ 67 Int. Cl. A63c 5/04 U.S. Cl.v 280-11.13 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A ski having a composite steel edge structure, which is partly covered by a thread covering, a layer having a high toughness being disposed between the tread covering and the steel edge structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A ski havin-g a steel edge structure which consists of successive sections and is connected to the ski body. The steel edge structure is profiled and partly covered by a tread covering. A layer of high toughness is disposed between the tread covering and the edge structure of the ski and covers the joints between the sections of the edge structure.

This invention relates to a ski which has a composite steel edge structure and embodies special features whereby damage to the tread covering at the joints of the edge structure is avoided.

In modern skis, continuous steel edge structures are increasingly employed in order to avoid the disadvantages which are encountered with skis having composite steel edge structures. Continuons steel edge structures give rise, on the other hand, to different problems, which relate to the elasticity and vibration characteristics of the ski.

In order to solve these problems it has already been proposed to provide above or below a continuous sectional steel edge structure a rubber layer, which extends substantially across the width of the ski and serves to prevent an excessive free aftervibration of the ski. Such excessive free aftervibration is promoted by an integral edge structure.

The provision of the rubber layer between the continuous, integral steel edge structure and the ski body serves also to offset to a certain extent the increase of the stiffness of the ski which results from the provision of the edge structure.

Composite steel edge structures have also been used and are usually secured to the ski body by screws. Sectional steel edge structures of this kind are used in order to minimize the contact surface between the steel and the snow. The iianges of the steel edge structure are connected to the ski body by screws and are then covered with a substance which has good sliding properties on snow.

Compared to continuous, integral steel edge structures, the composite sectional steel edge structures of the type last described have the advantage that their strength does not aifect the ski. On the other hand, they halve the disadvantage that gaps are formed at the joints between the sections of the steel edge structure and between the materials which cover the anges so that the latter materials can easily be damaged at said joint and water can enter between the sectional steel edge members and into the ski body. For this reason, it has been attempted to cover the flanges of the composite steel edge structure with a continuous strip of a material which has good sliding properties. After some time of use, however, the continuous strip is also destroyed at the joints between the steel sections or is overstrained there so that beads are subsequently formed which adversely affect the sliding properties of the skis.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ski which eliminates these disadvantages. An important feature of the invention resides in a ski which comprises a steel edge structure and a tread covering, said steel edge structure consisting of a multiplicity of adjoining sections, which are connected to the ski body, and partly covered by the tread covering, a layer of high toughness being provided between said tread covering and said sections of the steel edge structure, said layer covering the joint between the sections of the steel edge structure.

It is also a feature of the invention that the steel edge structure is L-shaped and one flange contacts the ski body and is covered by the tread covering and the layer of high toughness.

It is finally a subject matter of the invention that the layer having a high toughness is flush with the inside edge of the sections of the steel edge structure.

As a result of these measures, the covering strip is movable and is loaded not only at the joints between the sections of the edge structure, even if the sections of the steel edge structure open and close at the joints as the ski flexed.

IEmbodiments of the structure according to the invention are shown by way of example in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing part of the composite edge structure and the layers on the side thereof facing the tread.

FIGS. 2 to 4 are transverse sectional views showing skis with different means securing the steel edge structure to the ski body.

Only two sections 1 and 1" of a steel edge structure 1 are `shown in FIG. 1. The latter is L-shaped in crosssection and its longer ange 2 is secured to the ski body. The shorter vertical limb 3 contacts the runway. The underside surface of the limb 2 is covered by an interlayer 4 of rubber. This interlayer bridges the joints 5 of the edge structure 1 and extends only across the width of the limb. 2. A continuous intergral coating strip 6 is provided on the rubber interlayer i4 and together with the interlayer 4 of rubber iills the space between the two limbs 2 and 3 of the edge structure.

FIG. 2 shows the simplest incorporation of the steel edge structure in the ski body. The ski body comprises in this case a ski core 7 consisting of various wood laminations 8, which are screwed together. The ski body further comprises two side edge members 9, which laterally cover the core 7, ski elements 10 consisting of a laminate,

top and bottom, the protecting edge -members 11 and the top cover plate 12. The steel edge structure 1 is embedded in a groove 13 of the ski body and each section of said structure is secured to the ski body by a screw 14. 'Ihe space between the flanges 2 and the rubber interlayer 4 bonded to them and the cover strip 6 consisting, e.g., of polyethylene and covering the two edge structures 1 iS filled with a tread covering 15, which is iiush with the cover strip 6 and the bottom surface of the flange 3.

In the ski shown in FIG. 3, the core 7 differs from FIG. 2 in its laminated structure and is covered throughout its width at the top and bottom by the carrying member 10 of the ski. The steel edge structure is not secured to the carrying member of the ski with screws but is bonded to it by lvulcanization to a layer 16 of rubber or the like, which extends across the width of the flange 2. A spacing insert 17, e.g., of veneer, is provided between the tread surface 15 and the lower member 10 of the ski.

FIG. 4 differs from FIG. 3 in that the layer 16 extends not only over the width of the flange 2 but across the entire width of the ski.

Various changes in structure are possible within the scope of the invention. Above all, the interlayer 4 may be made of any desired material which has the same stressstrain characteristics as the rubber and may extend beyond the width of the limb 2 and, if desired, as far as to the corresponding limb of the edge structure on the other side of the ski. The edge structure 1 may have any desired cross-section, e.g., a rectangular cross-section.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski comprising a ski body, a steel edge structure disposed at each of the opposite lower side edges of said ski body and being connected to the ski body, each of said edge structures comprising a plurality of adjoining sections having joints therebetween, each of said edge structures defining an inwardly and downwardly opening space, a layer of high toughness material disposed in each of said spaces and bridging the joints between the sections of the associated edge structure and being substantially ush with the inner edge of the sections of the associated edge structure, a continuous coating strip being disposed beneath and adjacent each of said layers and References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,194,572 7/ 1965 Fischer.

FOREIGN PATENTS 675,430 12/1963 Canada. 1,192,669 4/1959 France.

218,662 6/1942 Switzerland. 246,705 10/ 1947 Switzerland.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner MILTON L. SMIT H, Assistant Examiner 

